The Asian American Film Lab is presenting the 11th annual 72 Hour Shootout™ (“Shootout”) filmmaking competition, June 4-7, 2015. Register at www.asianamericanfilmlab.com!

Win a FREE 72 Hour Shootout registration! Subscribe to www.youtube.com/asamfilmlab (it’s free and you get a weekly shot of entertainment delivered to your inbox) and all those who subscribers between now and June 4 will be entered into a raffle for a free Shootout registration!!

David Henry Hwang. Photo by Lia Chang

The Shootout is a worldwide competition, celebrating diversity and artistic self empowerment, in which filmmaking teams are given a common theme at the start and then have 72 hours to write, shoot, edit, and complete short films up to five minutes in length. Teams compete for cash and prizes, as well as the chance to have their films screened at the prestigious Asian American International Film Festival, organized by Asian CineVision, the only festival of its kind on the East Coast, and at the Asians on Film Festival in Los Angeles, California, and, for the first time ever, at the acclaimed New York Indian Film Festival, now in its 15th year. Competitors will also compete for televised broadcast on the Film Lab series, Film Lab Presents and on AAFL TV! 2015 judges include ABC’s Marci Phillips, playwright David Henry Hwang, the famous stuntman Lane Leavitt, producer Bertha Bay-Sa Pan, film festival programmer Scott Eriksson, talent agent David Elliott, and producer Aseem Chhabra, among others! Both ABC and NBC will be providing mentorship prizes!

In connection with the Shootout, the Film Lab is hosting several pre-launch events including a writing the best script workshop, in addition to a team-building and networking event to help Shootout registrants put their Shootout teams together.

THIRD 2015 SHOOTOUT FILMMAKING HOW-TO WORKSHOP: WRITING THE BEST SCRIPT on Thursday, April 16,2015 from 7-9pm

Writers from All My Children, As The World Turns, Law and Order: SVU, The Late Show with David Lettermen, and VH1’s Best Week Ever will lead this workshop on how to write the best possible script for your 72 Hour Shootout film! How do you write strong storylines and create genuine, loveable characters under a time crunch? Free for REGISTERED Shootout competitors only (registration automatically RSVPs you).
The Azure Lounge
333 E. 91 Street
New York, NY 10128
All others can RSVP here

The Shootout is intended to create opportunities for women and filmmakers of color, with a focus on Asian Americans, to demonstrate their talent, help them gain exposure in the entertainment industry, and impact the visibility of diverse stories and characters in film and television. One of the Shootout requirements is that at least one key production member (e.g., director, producer, or writer) and a principal actor from each team must be of Asian descent. As recent reports from SAG show, Asian Americans are the only racial group whose representation on network television has actually declined over the past year, even as their population increases.

2015 SHOOTOUT FILMMAKING COMPETITION BUILD YOUR TEAM NETWORKING PARTY

May 13, 6:30-8:30pm in NYC

You are ready! You’ve registered! You’ve accepted the challenge! You’re going to create a bold, beautiful, brilliant film for this year’s 72 Hour Shootout and you’re sure to win fame and accolades…all you need is…a team! Looking for actors? A writer? A director? A sound gal? A PA? Well, c’mon out and meet other folks also looking for team members! Actors should bring multiple copies of their headshots and resumes! Everyone should bring business cards and be ready to network up a storm. Free for REGISTERED Shootout competitors only (registration automatically RSVPs you). For information and to RSVP, click here

Join us live or online from anywhere on the globe you happen to be creating your Shootout film! At 8pm EST, we’ll be announcing the TOP SECRET THEME of the 2015 72 Hour Shootout, the theme upon which all the films must be based. As soon the theme is announced, the clock starts ticking and you have 72 hours within which to complete your short film. RSVP here!

You already know the focus this year is LOOK DEEPER. But what will the true theme of this year’s Shootout be? The Launch Party will include prizes, drinks and all sorts of fun so join us in person if you can!

THE 2015 72 HOUR SHOOTOUT

June 4-7 in NYC

In just one weekend, some of the world’s most brilliant filmmakers tackle racial inequality in their industry, with amazing results. All over the world, multi-racial teams work together with a common goal. In that brief span they laugh, love, cry, fight, discover, and learn until, finally, they see. Then they share that vision with us. The result is a staggering body of work, hundreds of short films to date, which entertain, encourage, and challenge viewers to go on their own journeys. After a decade of Shootouts, which have inspired thousands of filmmakers and audience members, it’s your turn to become part of the legacy.

THE 2015 72 HOUR SHOOTOUT WORLD PREMIERE AND WRAP PARTY

July 25 at The Asian American International Film Festival in NYC

Come out and see the world premiere of the top ten most incredible films of the 2015 72 Hour Shootout! Enjoy prizes from our sponsors, network and collaborate with fellow artists. Find out who won the awards, including mentorships from NBC, ABC and so much more! Tickets to the screening must be purchased through Asian CineVision.

The Wrap Party is for ALL who participated in this year’s Shootout and will be an extravagnaza of prizes and celebration. The Wrap Party is free for REGISTERED Shootout competitors only (registration automatically RSVPs you). All others can RSVP here in June. Of course, it’s not really a wrap, because the winning films will go on to screen at many other festivals and on AAFL TV!

The Asian American Film Lab (Film Lab) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to the promotion and support of gender and ethnic diversity in film and television through free monthly educational and outreach programming and the acclaimed annual 72 Hour Shootout filmmaking competition (www.asianamericanfilmlab.org). This annual competition has inspired hundreds of filmmakers by helping nascent talent take brave steps towards a filmmaking career. The Film Lab was formed in 1998 by collaborative of New York-based filmmakers whose goals were to hone their craft and to share their knowledge, experience and resources. The membership has grown to comprise professionals, artists and other talented individuals who all share the common goal of creating great film and promoting all filmmakers of color, with a focus on Asian Americans, and the visibility of their stories and characters in film and television.

The Film Lab is run under the direction of President Jennifer Betit Yen. Acting and Advisory Board members include Aaron Woolfolk and Edwin Wong, among others. For a complete list of staff and management, please visit www.film-lab.org.

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon and Taxman. She has guest starred on “One Life to Live,” “As the World Turns,” and “New York Undercover.” Lia starred as Carole Barbara in Lorey Hayes’ Power Play at the National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, N.C., with Pauletta Pearson Washington and Roscoe Orman. She is profiled in Jade Magazine.